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Correct Fasteners for Radiator Support 47 Plymouth


kbuhagiar

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Hello again,

 

Just removed the radiator support from my 47 Plymouth. The previous owner, bless his creative soul, used a hodgepodge of fasteners to install it, and none of them appear to be correct.

 

The eight larger bolts (four on each side) are 3/8 - 24. There are also four others (two on each side) that appear to be 1/4 - 20.

And the six that hold the radiator to the support are 3/8 - 16.

 

I am not sure of the correct styles or configurations that were originally used (flanged or not, with or without washers, etc) or lengths, and I don't have access to my parts manual (it's packed away in a moving box). I would like to revert to the original fasteners - or a reasonable facsimile thereof.

 

Can anyone specify the bolt style/lengths used by the factory to mount the radiator to the front sheetmetal?

 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

 

Edited by kbuhagiar
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FWIW I always do my own research whenever possible.

 

I would normally look this information up in the factory shop /parts manuals, but they are temporarily packed away and unavailable.

I tried searching the web but came up empty.

 

If necessary I'll put it all back together with what I have and replace the fasteners with the correct items down the road; just thought it would be nice to do it all at once.

 

Anyway, thanks again for your assistance and support!

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It must be a "headache" to worry about all the fasteners on your car being correct from the factory......I applaud you for your effort to make it so, but you do realize that Chrysler was notorious for using whatever was at hand when a worker would run out of the "right" parts.

Personally, and I speak only for myself when I say I wouldn't care if all 18 bolts, nuts, and washers were wrong.......as long as they do the job correctly. ☺️Good luck.

 

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2 minutes ago, Frank Elder said:

It must be a "headache" to worry about all the fasteners on your car being correct from the factory......I applaud you for your effort to make it so, but you do realize that Chrysler was notorious for using whatever was at hand when a worker would run out of the "right" parts.

Personally, and I speak only for myself when I say I wouldn't care if all 18 bolts, nuts, and washers were wrong.......as long as they do the job correctly. ☺️Good luck.

 

 

Hi Frank,

 

I'm right on board with you on this one; I could care less about having the factory correct items (my car is FAR from stock), but I would like to know the most appropriate fastener for the application, in other words a flanged head bolt vs. a bolt with a flat washer and/or lock washer. I'll eventually figure it out for myself, just thought it would be nice to know how the factory did it and proceed from there.

 

If all else fails I'll fall back to the old reliable standby: hex head bolt with a flat washer at every location.

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Ive encountered the same situation, Plymouth was notorious for using what they had on hand to finish the job.  What I would do is make sure the threads match and not force or cross thread. Just keep your eye out for the matching bolts when you go to swap meets or find a donor.

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4 hours ago, MarkAubuchon said:

Ive encountered the same situation, Plymouth was notorious for using what they had on hand to finish the job.  What I would do is make sure the threads match and not force or cross thread. Just keep your eye out for the matching bolts when you go to swap meets or find a donor.

 

Hi Mark,

 

I've identified all of the correct thread sizes/pitches. Now it's just a matter of determining the correct style of bolts (flanged, plain hex with separate washer, hex with integral washer, etc).

 

I'm not picky about the source, and I don't have the patience to wait for a swap meet. As an example, our local Ace Hardware sells a variety of automotive body & special application bolts. Don't really care if they are from a Mopar or Ford or GM - if they are the correct size & style I'll use them.

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